Powdered abrasive cleansers have long been known to be useful for scouring porcelain sinks and fixtures, hard metallic materials, pots and pans, and similar surfaces which require high levels of mechanical abrasive for cleaning. The formulation of such powdered abrasive cleansers is discussed in great detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,583,922, McClain et al., June 8, 1971; 3,829,385, Abbott, Jr., et al. Aug. 13, 1974; and 3,715,314, Morganstern, Feb. 6, 1973. U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,080, Siklosi, Sept. 1, 1981, assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company, discloses a powdered cleanser composed of tertiary alcohol, surfactant, abrasive, builder and bleach. This latter patent does not disclose benzyl alcohol. The foregoing patents are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Liquid detergent compositions comprising benzyl alcohol are known, U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,128, Goffinet, Nov. 8, 1983. Liquid cleansers comprising benzyl alcohol, surfactant, builder, and mild abrasives are known. The prior art, however, fails to teach or recognize the advantage of benzyl alcohol in a powdered abrasive cleanser formulation; particularly in compositions containing bleach.